TWO clothes stores threatened with closure could be thrown a lifeline.

Collapsed high street retailer Peacocks was bought out by Edinburgh Woollen Mill last week, but 224 stores were earmarked for immediate closure, including those in Wrexham and Flint.

But the new owner, who bought 388 stores out of adminstration, saving 6,000 jobs, is now in talks with landlords in an attempt to reopen some of the unprofitable stores that were not part of the deal.

Philip Day, owner of Edinburgh Woollen Mill, said: “A lot of the 244 stores that closed were blindingly unprofitable so we don’t want to reopen those, but if we get the right sort of deals we could reopen 75 of them.

“We will look to go to monthly rents and get a rent reduction.”

It is not yet known which stores could be saved as part of the new deal, but branches in Bangor, Rhyl, Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, Mold, Holywell and Connah’s Quay will remain open.